Department for Transport

Electric Scooters: Safety

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of mandatory safety measures, such as (1) helmets, and (2) an enforced speed limit, for the use of e-scooters.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is currently considering options for construction and use regulations for e-scooters, which may include requirements for helmet use and a maximum design speed. We are drawing on the helpful work of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Warwick Manufacturing Group, the Motorcycle Industry Association and others. However, no final decisions have been made. The Department will consult publicly before any new arrangements come into force, thus providing an opportunity for interested parties to shape the new regime.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Strikes: Public Sector

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they plan to repeal legislation banning agency workers from covering those on strike; and what discussions they have had with recruitment agencies and organisations about this plan.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect agency workers to be able to cover technically skilled roles without relevant training, particularly in cases involving public safety; and if so, how they will ensure safety is maintained.

Lord Callanan: Employment businesses are currently prohibited, by regulation 7 of the Conduct Regulations, from introducing or supplying temporary agency workers to a hirer to cover striking workers. Employers can already bring in extra staff to cover striking workers if they hire them directly. This change would allow more flexibility for employers when dealing with a strike by allowing them to use agency staff to continue functioning to some extent. It does not change the requirements for businesses to comply with wider health and safety rules that keep both employees and the public safe. Employers would still have a responsibility to ensure agency workers had all the necessary skills and/or qualifications to meet those obligations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many doses of the (1) Pfizer, and (2) Moderna, vaccines they have purchased for children under the age of five; and when such vaccines will be made available to those children.

Lord Callanan: There are no Covid-19 vaccines for under 5s currently approved for use in the UK, and as such we have not specifically procured vaccines for this cohort. The Government will continue monitoring developments and seek the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation going forward.

Electronic Commerce

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they plan to take to ensure that consumers are afforded the same protections when they are shopping on an online marketplace as they are when shopping on the high street.

Lord Callanan: There is already robust legislation in place that protects consumers purchasing goods and services online. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 set out these rights. As announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May, the Government will publish draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses as part of a Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill.

Electricity and Natural Gas: Billing

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that gas and electricity suppliers are not increasing customer direct debits more than is necessaryas a result of the increasing cost of energy.

Lord Callanan: The Government expects all energy suppliers to treat their customers fairly. Ofgem, as the independent regulator, has recently launched a consultation to strengthen the existing requirements on the level of direct debits licensed energy suppliers can charge customers, according to the best and most current information available to them, to ensure credit balances do not become excessive.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toassist households who not have a mains gas supply and are dependent on heating oil, as the cost of oil increases.

Lord Callanan: The Government understands that fuel prices are an important component of UK household and business expenditures and understands the negative impact of domestic fuel costs on UK consumers. The main drivers of changes in heating oil prices are the international traded prices of crude oils and refined products. BEIS continues to monitor the market closely and to work with the industry to mitigate any supply risks to ensure that prices stay as low as possible. The Government recently announced a £15 billion package to support households with the cost of living, in addition to over £22 billion that had already been committed.

Energy: Debts

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensurethat repayment of debts on prepay energy cards is proportionate and does not lead to increasing debt for customers using prepay (1) meters, and (2) cards.

Lord Callanan: Prepayment meter consumers who are repaying a debt, repay a set amount each time they top up the credit on the meter for their current use. Energy suppliers are required under the terms of the supply licence to set repayment rates based on a consumer’s ability to pay.

Energy: Billing

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that when estimating bills, energy suppliers estimate historic usage only from the property being billed and not from (1) surrounding, or (2) similar, properties.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem’s licence conditions stipulate that, when estimating bills, suppliers must ensure that each customer is provided with relevant billing information. Suppliers must also ensure customers receive regular and accurate bills and take all reasonable steps to obtain meter readings at least annually and make a bill or statement available at least twice per year. They must also take reasonable steps to reflect meter readings in bills that have been provided by a customer.

Energy: Consumption

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promotelower use of energy given the challenges of (1) climate change, (2) energy security, and (3) the cost of energy.

Lord Callanan: The Government has committed to decarbonising heat and buildings, with support targeted at lower-income households through schemes such as the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Local Authority Delivery Scheme, and the Energy Company Obligation. We are also supporting industry to reduce energy use, including through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund supporting investments in energy efficiency. The Government set out in the British Energy Security Strategy its approach to building a secure, clean and affordable energy system, including additional measures to support consumers to cut their energy consumption and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, making homes warmer and more energy efficient while helping to reduce bills.

Renewable Energy: Farms

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to reduce thecost ofconnectingviable schemes to the national grid in order to increase levels of renewable energy production on farms.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem regulates network connection charges. It has decided that distribution network connection costs for renewable energy projects will be reduced from April 2023, where distribution network reinforcement is required.

Products: Safety

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the consultation on their new UK Product Safety Framework, which ran from 11 March 2021 to 17 June 2021; and what plans they have to introduce new legislation that ensures that only safe products can be sold on online marketplaces.

Lord Callanan: Existing laws already require that all consumer products must be safe before they can be placed on the UK market, either online or the high street. The Government is reviewing the product safety framework and a consultation, including proposals to take further steps to address unsafe products sold online, is being finalised and will be published later this year. We anticipate legislation would be required to implement many of the consultation proposals and will look to introduce any necessary legislation as the Parliamentary timetable allows.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what priorities they have adopted for the COVID-19 vaccination programme from autumn 2022 to spring 2023.

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people they expect will be encouraged to have a further COVID-19 booster vaccination in each age group by Spring 2023.

Lord Kamall: The Government continues to be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations across the UK. On 19 May 2022, the JCVI published interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 vaccination booster programme. The primary objective of the programme is to offer protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and death.The interim advice from the JCVI is that an additional COVID-19 booster vaccine should be offered in autumn 2022 to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those aged 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16-64 years old who are in a clinical risk group.The JCVI continues to review the definitions of clinical risk groups and the need for any further COVID-19 vaccination of other patient groups. Further information on the number of people eligible for the autumn COVID-19 booster programme will be subject to the final advice from the JCVI, which is expected autumn 2022.

Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government which provisions contained in theCarers and Disabled Children’s Act 2000 have been incorporated in the Health and Care Act 2022; and which provisions have been omitted.

Lord Kamall: No provisions from the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 have been incorporated into the Health and Care Act 2022 since the 2000 Act was repealed in 2016. However, Section 25 of the Health and Care Act 2022 makes new provisions in the National Health Service Act 2006 to include a duty for integrated care boards (ICBs) to involve carers when making relevant decisions about commissioning arrangements and promote the involvement of carers in decisions which relate to the care and treatment of the person for whom they care. Section 91 of the Health and Care Act 2022 also replaces section 74 of the Care Act 2014 with a new duty on National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts to consider how to involve an adult patient and their carer, including young carers, in discharge planning, in circumstances where the patient is likely to require care and support following discharge from hospital.The Health and Care Act 2022 also transfers the duties relating to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from clinical commissioning groups to ICBs and confers a duty on ICBs to have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.

Nurses: Training

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for nursing courses were (1) received, (2) accepted, and (3) refused, places in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, and (c) 2021, at universities in England.

Lord Kamall: The following table shows the number of applications made to a nursing course and subsequent acceptances in England in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Data on the number of applications refused is not held centrally.2019 2020 2021Applications 128,810 145,925 181,645Acceptances 23,630 29,740 30,185 Source: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2021. Note:An applicant can make up to five separate course applications. Only one place can be accepted.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses were recruited from overseas in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, and (4) in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Lord Kamall: This information is not collected in the format requested. While the National Health Service Electronic Staff Record collects self-reported data on nationality, this does not show where staff were trained or the country in which they were a resident at the time of recruitment.

Department for Education

Recruitment: Young People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans theyhave toprovide financial incentives for (1) training providers, and (2) employers, to encourage them to take on young people who have not already achieved a Grade 4 or above in English and Maths.

Baroness Barran: The department recognises the importance of English and maths both in work and everyday life. For this reason, we are continuing to support participation in English and maths, training to meet employers’ needs, and progression in employment and further study.The 16-19 funding formula has two payments to support schools, colleges, and all other 16-19 institutions where young people have not already achieved a Grade 4 or above in English and maths.Students studying level 3 programmes (including T Levels), who have not yet attained these qualifications attract additional funding of a single £750 payment per subject if they are studying a 2-year programme, or a single £375 payment per subject if they are studying a 1-year programme.Disadvantage funding is provided to help attract and retain disadvantaged 16-19-year-olds. A rate of £480 is available per instance of a full-time student without grade 4 GCSE English or maths.In addition, the 16-19 tuition fund provides ring-fenced funding for schools, colleges and all other 16-19 institutions who receive annual funding allocations from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for the provision of 16-19 education. £222 million has been made available across the next two academic years to provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted through the impact of the pandemic, and who have not achieved a level 4 or 5 in GCSE maths and English. From the 2022/23 academic year, additional flexibilities will be introduced around which students can receive tuition support. This will not impact the way funding is allocated.The Condition of Funding (CoF/resits) policy requires full-time 16-19 learners to continue studying English and maths if they have not yet achieved level 2.The number of learners achieving level 2 in English and maths by the age of 19 has improved since the CoF policy was introduced. In 2019, 72% of 19-year-olds had achieved level 2 in English and maths, a 12-percentage point rise, compared with the level of achievement at age 16, which stood at 60%. To put it another way, that year almost 63,000 learners had achieved English and maths through their post-16 providers, compared with around 37,500 in 2014.Targeted English and maths professional development for teachers supporting 16-19-year-olds continuing to work towards level 2 English and maths has been provided through government grant funding since 2013. The department continues support into this new Spending Review period, including a recently launched grant competition to fund up to £3 million over the next three years to provide these teachers with free, high-quality professional development that is targeted specifically to help them support this cohort of learnersContinuing to invest in teachers’ skills provides additional means of supporting young people to gain vital English and maths qualifications, boosting, and levelling up education standards, so that young people in every part of the country have greater opportunities for employment and study.English and maths qualifications are also an important part of the apprenticeship programme. The department provides funding for apprentices to achieve up to an approved level 2 qualification in English and maths where they do not already hold a suitable equivalent qualification.

Horticulture: Qualifications

Baroness Fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the main routes through which horticultural qualifications may be obtained.

Baroness Barran: Qualifications in horticulture can be obtained through apprenticeships, vocational and technical qualifications, and through higher education (HE), including at degree level. T Levels in Agriculture, Land Management and Production, designed by relevant employers, will be available from September 2023. New higher technical qualifications in horticulture are also expected to be available from September 2025. Employers in the horticultural sector have developed high-quality apprenticeship standards ranging from level 2 Horticulture or Landscape Operative, level 4 Arboriculturist, up to level 6 Professional Arboriculturist. The government’s free courses for jobs offer at level 3 includes several qualifications in horticulture. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are free to decide which courses they provide, depending on a number of factors including student demand.

Education

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will produce a formal response to The TimesEducation Commission's final report, published on 15 June.

Baroness Barran: We are very grateful for the work of the Times Education Commission, noting both the breadth of issues and the depth of evidence considered during its inquiry.We remain committed to our ambitious programme of educational reforms. These include the bold measures set out in our 2021 Skills for Jobs White Paper, which will give people the opportunity to train, retrain and upskill flexibly throughout their lives, in order to get great jobs in the sectors that our economy needs and to boost productivity.Through the changes set out in our 2022 Schools White Paper, we are also driving improved standards in schools with measures that will ensure an excellent teacher for every child, high standards of curriculum, attendance and behaviour, and targeted support for children who are behind in English or maths and a stronger and fairer school system that works for every child.We remain focused on these and our other reform priorities and have no current plans to publish a formal response to the Commission.

Nurses: Training

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether universities in England face any financial or other restrictions on the number of nurses they may accept for training; and if so, what are the restrictions.

Baroness Barran: The government does not impose a cap on nurse training places. Higher Education Providers (HEPs) make decisions on their intakes, and these are based on demand from suitable candidates and the ability of education and healthcare systems to provide the necessary capacity (both academic and practise). HEPs receive funding to support the delivery of these courses from student fees, as well as additional support from the Strategic Priorities Grant. We have committed to deliver 50,000 more nurses into the NHS by the end of this Parliament. We will achieve this through a combination of investing in and diversifying our training pipeline and recruiting and retaining more nurses in the NHS. Since September 2020, all eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. Additional funding is also available for studying certain courses, for example mental health and learning disabilities nursing, with further financial support available to students for childcare, accommodation costs and travel costs. This support package comes in addition to maintenance and tuition fee loans provided by the Student Loans Company. It enables healthcare students to focus on their studies and placements and helps alleviate financial pressures which students might be facing. Health Education England (HEE) has invested £55 million in expanding clinical placements, including simulated learning capacity. This funding is being provided in addition to £180 million, spent each year by HEE on placements for around 120,000 nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students.

Chemistry: GCE A-level

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of 12 pages of the AQA Chemistry A-Level examination being leaked on the social media app Snapchat before that examination took place.

Baroness Barran: The department is aware of the reports around an alleged leak of material from a A-level Chemistry paper and we take all allegations of wrongdoing extremely seriously. While serious exam malpractice remains rare, it is vital that any breach is thoroughly investigated by the exam boards.Exam boards have well established processes in place to manage such incidents. AQA have confirmed that their exams integrity team is investigating these reports and they will take any action necessary, including working with the police.Exam boards have demonstrated previously that they are able to effectively gather evidence about the students who had unauthorised access to any questions before the exam was taken. In the event of a leak, Ofqual will work with the exam board to minimise the impact on students.

Business and Management: Higher Education

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government which eight universities are under investigation by the Office for Students because of reported shortcomings in their Business and Management Studies provision; and what assessment they have made of the timing of the investigations, given that applicants for such courses for the next academic year will need to make their decisions soon.

Baroness Barran: The department is clear that driving up quality in higher education (HE) in England remains one of our highest priorities. This includes tackling the unacceptable pockets of poor-quality provision and taking regulatory action where appropriate. The department has encouraged the Office for Students (OfS) to implement a visible and effective inspections regime where the OfS has concerns about the quality of provision. This will involve on-site inspections. The OfS announced its first wave of onsite inspections on 26 May, which will look specifically at business and management courses provided by eight higher education providers (HEPs). These will also examine whether poor-quality online learning has replaced face-to-face teaching to the detriment of students’ academic experience. Through section 33 of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, the government has amended the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to make express provision for the OfS to publish notices, decisions or reports given or made in the performance of its functions, including whether a HEP is under investigation. This new legislation sets out the factors that the OfS must consider when deciding whether to publish. The OfS recently consulted the sector on this and is now considering responses before it makes use of these provisions. As the independent regulator of HE in England, responsibility for initiating investigations and deciding whether, and when, it announces them, or the names of the providers being investigated, is a matter for the OfS. The OfS is required to consider the implications for students planning their higher education this autumn.

Ministry of Justice

Barristers: Strikes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure barrister strikes do not delaythe administration of justice.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: It remains our priority to ensure that justice is served, and we will continue to encourage the Criminal Bar Association to work with us – the decrease in the Crown Court backlog shows what is possible when we work together.It is disappointing that the Criminal Bar Association are progressing this type of action, considering less than 50% of CBA members voted in support of the option likely to cause the most disruption.On 30 June, Minister Cartlidge announced our commitment to laying a statutory instrument necessary to effect the fee increases by 21 July, alongside an interim government response to the consultation on the Independent Review.We are acting to mitigate the impact of the CBA strikes on a daily basis. This includes Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service working closely with the judiciary to ensure that cases are listed in a way which minimises disruption.We continue to support the independent judiciary in their efforts to minimise disruption felt as a result of CBA action. Ministers continue to engage regularly with the Senior Presiding Judge to understand the impact in the courts.The Public Defender Service is providing advocacy support, where possible, to cases that have been impacted by the CBA action. The Legal Aid Agency has also established a Crown Court Representation Helpline to make the process of identifying higher court advocates easier for providers who may be impacted by barristers declining to accept returns.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Sanctions

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies proactively share information with UK authorities relating to entities registered in these jurisdictions that are suspected to be connected to sanctioned individuals.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is proud of the principled stand that the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies have taken in relation to implementing sanctions. UK sanctions apply in all Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. The elected leaders of the Territories have publicly confirmed their commitment to continuing to uphold the highest international standards of transparency and accountability. The Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies cooperate with the UK on taxation, fighting financial crime and sanctions enforcement. They continue to share valuable information on company beneficial ownership with UK law authorities, under the Exchange of Notes process.

Supply Chains: Human Rights

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will introduce legislation to make supply chain human rights due diligence mandatory.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has consistently supported the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on business and human rights, which are widely regarded as the authoritative international framework to steer practical action by governments and businesses worldwide on this important agenda, and encourage businesses to voluntarily adopt due diligence approaches to respecting human right. We continue to keep our policy under review. The new Modern Slavery Strategy is due to be published shortly and will set the direction of our modern slavery and global supply chains work for the years to come.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) report UNOCHA Protection of Civilians Report 31 May – 13 June 2022, published on 17 June, which lists the (1) killings, (2) injuries, (3) raids, and (4) displacement, of Palestinian people by Israeli (a) forces, and (b) settlers, in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the report. We continue to urge thorough and transparent investigations into the deaths of Palestinian civilians, and call for restraint in the use of force. We are clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and forced evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law and we condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. On 22 June Minister Milling travelled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where she discussed the increasing level of violence in the OPTs with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll.

Gaza: Children and Young People

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of recent reports from Save the Children and Medical Aid for Palestine, which found that (1) four out of five children living in Gaza are suffering from depression, grief and fear following 15 years of Israeli blockade, and (2) those children and young people’s mental health was also linked to a lack of access to services, such as healthcare.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to monitor the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the impact of Israel's movement and access restrictions on civilians. The UK has provided £2 million to UNICEF and over £27 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in 2021 to help the most vulnerable people in Gaza, especially children to continue their education, meet their basic needs, and hopefully to fulfil their potential. We must continue to address immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza, and work towards a longer-term solution for recovery and reconstruction.

Azerbaijan: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case of the Azeri imam Sardar Babayev, who has been arrested on a charge of treason, and (2) the state of human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has not made an assessment on the case of Imam Sardar Babayev. As part of our ongoing close dialogue, we regularly encourage the Government of Azerbaijan to take substantive measures to protect the human rights of all citizens. We have also raised concerns regarding measures that curtail human rights in Azerbaijan. Most recently, at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the UK Representative highlighted the need for the Azerbaijani Government to ensure fundamental freedoms and human rights are protected by the State.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to work with European allies to condemn President Putin’s policy of aggression in Ukraine and the detrimental effect on the people of that country, including injuries and fatalities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary continues to ensure the UK is playing a leading role driving the international response to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, regularly meeting and speaking with Foreign Minister counterparts, including our European allies. We are working with international partners to support Ukraine across a range of areas, including: strengthening their military capabilities; providing economic support; sharing expertise and experience on recovery and reconstruction; unlocking routes to export grain from Ukraine; humanitarian support; and investigations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. We will continue to support the Ukrainian Government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Nigeria: Abduction and Homicide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the response by (1) state, and (2) federal authorities, in Nigeria to attacks on Adara communities in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state, following reports of abductions and murders in that area.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are aware of the attacks in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state. Increasing insecurity across Nigeria is having a devastating impact on affected communities. The Government condemns all incidents of violence in Nigeria. We are in regular contact with the Kaduna State Government on instances of conflict and insecurity in the State and we are providing mentoring and capacity-building support to Nigerian Police Force units to improve their anti-kidnap capacity, to help reduce harm to victims, and to hold those responsible to account. We also continue to support initiatives which promote dialogue and mediation between communities in Kaduna, in partnership with the State Government.We will continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence, and we committed to work together to respond to rising insecurity in Nigeria at our Security and Defence Dialogue in February.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) President Saied of Tunisia's roadmap for reform, and (2) whether that roadmap provides an adequate route for restoring full democracy in the country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK closely monitors the political situation in Tunisia and will continue to do so as the new constitution is published on 30 June and the referendum takes place, scheduled for 25 July. The UK stands ready to play a constructive role as Tunisia addresses significant political and economic challenges. We also regularly emphasise the importance of accountability and inclusive political participation in the democratic process, most recently during my visit, in June.

Ministry of Defence

Russia: Ukraine

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the remarks by the new Chief of the British Army that "there is now a burning imperativeto forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle" represents Government policy.

Baroness Goldie: The 2021 Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper set out a year ago that Russia poses “the greatest nuclear, conventional military and sub-threshold threat to European security”. Warfighting capability remains the cornerstone of deterrence and the bedrock of a world-class British Army. The ability and willingness to commit hard capability to fighting wars is a fundamental foundation of our influence and deterrence. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, therefore confirms why the UK must be ready to defend and deter threats emanating from our adversaries in a deteriorating global security environment. We continue to review our capabilities and readiness levels as we deliver the transformation of the Army under Future Soldier.

Russia: Ukraine

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of (1) the remarks by the new Chief of the British Army on 16 June regarding "fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle", (2) the potential for more fatalities as a result of the UK's involvement in the war against Russia; and what estimate they have made, if any, of the number of fatalities that would result from UK involvement in the conflict.

Baroness Goldie: The ability and willingness to commit hard capability to fighting wars is a fundamental foundation of our influence and deterrence. As outlined in the Integrated Review, we will continue to work with our Allies and partners to increase our interoperability and burden sharing, ensuring a united response to threats to global security, combining our military, diplomatic and intelligence assets in support of collective security. We conduct a rigorous assessment of the risks associated with providing defensive capabilities to Ukraine. However, Ukraine is not a NATO member and Ministers have been clear that UK troops will not fight alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We do not comment on hypothetical situations.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

EU Law

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government why (1) the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (No. 1012), and (2) the Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (No. 579), are not included in the Cabinet Office’s Retained EU Law dashboard.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The REUL dashboard presents an authoritative catalogue of REUL, not a complete list of REUL. To ensure the integrity of the data published, Defra undertook a quality assurance process. In the case of retained law relating to habitats, this information completed the quality assurance process only after Cabinet Office’s deadline for publication, so was not able to be included in the initial data. When the dashboard is next updated, this legislation will be added to the data set.

Nature Conservation: Property Development

Earl Cathcart: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect Natural England will provide a solution to foul water and nutrient neutrality issues which will permit developments in affected areas to proceed.

Lord Benyon: The Government set out an initial package of measures to address nutrient pollution impacting protected sites in March: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nutrient-pollution-reducing-the-impact-on-protected-sites/nutrient-pollution-reducing-the-impact-on-protected-sites (and attached to this answer). We are clear that nutrient neutrality can only be an interim solution whilst we return our protected sites to favourable condition. We are in close contact with impacted local planning authorities and developers, working closely with DLUHC, and will consider next steps shortly.Nutrient Pollution (pdf, 102.7KB)

Environmental Land Management Schemes

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will evaluate the success of the Environmental Land Management schemes based on the size of uptake.

Lord Benyon: The success of Environmental Land Management Schemes will be evaluated using a range of indicators and metrics. Area of land under management is just one of the indicators that we will be using to evaluate the success of the schemes. We have specifically set out a number of size-based goals that we will be monitoring, further details are available in the policy paper Environmental land management schemes: outcomes published on 6 January 2022 (GOV.UK), including the aim that by 2028, at least 70% of farmers, covering at least 70% of farmland, will take up Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements. We have also committed to deliver at least 10 Landscape Recovery projects covering over 20,000 ha between now and 2024. We have recently seen a greater interest in our Countryside Stewardship schemes with a 40% increase in scheme applications in 2021 compared to 2020. Alongside the new Environmental Land Management schemes these increases should help to contribute to many of our most important key targets and ambitions.

Peat Bogs: Conservation

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of peatland loss; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: England’s peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. They provide a home for rare wildlife, regulate our water supply and provide a record of the past. However, only 13% of our peatlands are in a near-natural state at present. In May 2021, we published the England Peat Action Plan, which sets out the steps we are taking in response to peat loss: England Peat Action Plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy is attached to this answer. As part of this, we are funding a research and development project that will map the extent and condition of England’s peatlands in detail. Final outputs of the England Peat Map will be made available in 2024.England Peat Action Plan (pdf, 2595.6KB)

Coastal Erosion

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of coastal erosion; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The National Coastal Erosion Risk Map, available at data.gov.uk, provides a consistent assessment of coastal erosion risk around England. Between 2021 and 2027, we have doubled our overall investment in flooding and coastal erosion to £5.2 billion. This will ensure a further 336,000 properties are better protected from flooding and coastal erosion.In addition, £200 million is being invested in the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This is already helping 25 local areas over six years to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. As part of this £200 million, Ministers have allocated £36 million over six years, to develop a 'Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme' to trial opportunities, in a small number of coastal areas at significant risk of coastal erosion, to transition and adapt to a changing climate.

Horse Racing: Animal Welfare

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the horse racing sector to address animal welfare issues, including fatality levels.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare, including the welfare of racehorses. Ensuring the welfare needs of racehorses are well met throughout their entire life, is a priority. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing’s governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible. The racing industry’s independent Horse Welfare Board (HWB) was formed in 2019 and includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. We have welcomed their recent publications, including “A Life Well Lived” (copy attached to this answer) which sets out a strategic plan to improve the welfare of horses before, during and after their racing career. The strategy contains 20 recommendations and 26 specific projects for the industry aimed at ensuring the best possible safety and quality of life for racehorses.  The Board has subsequently produced “Euthanasis Guidelines" and published an “Aftercare Funding Review” which recommends a strategic approach to aftercare in Britain, applicable to any horse bred for racing. The public consultation on the use of the whip opened on 1 July 2021 and closed on 6 September 2021. The BHA published a “Whip Consultation Update" in January 2022 and we look forward to seeing the results of the consultation and the BHA’s recommendations. One of the plan’s five identified outcomes (outcome 3 - 'Best possible safety') aims to reduce and minimise, as far as reasonably possible, avoidable injuries and fatalities to racehorses. This targets a reduction in injuries and fatalities on racecourses but also those that occur in, or as a result of, training or pre-training methods, or which are linked to breeding. The HWB has underlined the importance of data to better understand the causes of injuries and fatalities to help achieve this outcome. A number of projects and initiatives have been identified, at varying stages of development, aimed at capturing more information that could identify actions which would reduce the risk of racehorse injuries and fatalities.Defra Ministers and officials will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses and reducing the fatalities and injuries that result from racing, remain at the forefront of the BHA’s priorities in delivering the plan’s outcomes.  We will be monitoring closely how the industry responds to the Board’s recommendations so that the welfare needs of racehorses are met both during and after their racing lives.A Life Well Lived (pdf, 11762.6KB)

Fly-tipping

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreview the punishments available to the courts to deal with (1) fly tipping, and (2) illegal dumping.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Courts have the power to impose unlimited fines, as well as up to five years imprisonment in the most serious cases, for fly-tipping/illegal dumping. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. We will be conducting research into the current enforcement regime to understand challenges faced by local authorities and others.

Home Office

Refugees: Rwanda

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any limit on the number of refugees currently in Rwanda who will be resettled in the UK under the provisions of the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A small number of the most vulnerable refugees in Rwanda will be resettled in the UK as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.More details on the resettlement of vulnerable refugees will be set out in due course.

Asylum: Rwanda

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how long the policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda will take to reduce significantly the illegal activity of people traffickers; and whether they will publish the risk assessment for this policy.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda is part of a suite of measures aimed at breaking the business model of evil people smuggling gangs and as with all policies, its impact will be kept under review.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government why those who have been approved as official visitors to Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre in Country Durham are required to sign the Official Secrets Act, and how should any concerns be raised and people be held accountable if visitors are unable to report anything publicly.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government what access the residents of Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre have to trauma-informed counselling.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government what language support is available to those women in Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre who do not have English as a first language.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Detention Centre Rules 2001 regulate how immigration removal centres are operated, with the overall purpose of the rules being to ensure a secure and humane environment. The safety, security and welfare of staff and detained individuals are of vital importance in the operation of the immigration removal estate, and this includes the strict regulation of those entering and working in immigration removal centres, under Rule 53 of the Detention Centre Rules.Members of Independent Monitoring Boards, who are appointed by the Home Secretary under section 152 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, are required to sign the Official Secrets Act as part of the Home Office clearance process. The published Detention Services Order (DSO) ‘Whistleblowing – The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (c.23)’ sets out guidance for Home Office staff, our suppliers and visitors on whistleblowing procedures.All those detained in immigration removal centres (IRCs), including Derwentside IRC, have access to independent interpreting services. As set out in DSO 06/2013 “Reception, Induction and Discharge’, professional interpreting facilities must be used whenever language barriers are identified on reception, induction, or discharge. New operational guidance, Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’ will be published shortly. This guidance will set out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices, available for individuals held in immigration detention and the circumstances in which these should be used.All IRCs have dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses which are managed by the NHS, or appropriate providers, and deliver trauma informed mental health services, where appropriate. A range of trauma informed services are provided at Derwentside IRC, including trauma stabilisation, trauma informed cognitive behavioural therapy and services for sexual abuse crisis. The services available are supplemented by guidance and advice on trauma informed restorative practice being provided to onsite staff, from a specialist external organisation.In addition to published guidance, staff at all centres are also given training and support to proactively identify and act upon indicators of vulnerability at the earliest opportunity and Detainee Custody Officers at Derwentside IRC receive trauma informed training as part of their induction and refresher training courses, to ensure effective and supportive engagement with residents. Welfare teams are onsite at every IRC to assist detained individuals in accessing support specific to their needs.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Towns Fund: Birkenhead

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Wirral Council only received 25 per cent of the finance that was awarded to Birkenhead under the Town Deals fund in July 2021.

Lord Greenhalgh: Birkenhead was awarded £25 million in 2021 for a Town Deal to be delivered over 5 years. This funding will support 10 projects, including the £5.7 million 'Transport Shed' which will create a new transport-based heritage visitor attraction for Merseyside and a £3.5 million 'Wellbeing and Opportunity Hub' serving as a new national Centre of Excellence in how arts and culture can be used to reimagine how mental health is supported and understood. Funding is released annually as projects develop and so far, the town has received over £7.3 million, including £2.25 million of accelerated funding and upfront capital which was made available to kickstart delivery and support towns in the early stages of the programme. We continue to work with Wirral Council and the town to ensure projects are progressing well, on time and to budget.

Bevis Marks Synagogue

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to protect Bevis Marks Synagogue and its estate, as an historic world centre of Sephardic Jewish worship and scholarship, from risk to its future from real estate development or other factors, including pressures from the City of London Corporation.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is committed to the protection of our historic environment, including listed buildings such as the Bevis Marks Synagogue, and we have put in place a strong legislative and policy framework to achieve this. In determining planning applications, local planning authorities are under a statutory duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses. This is supported by national planning policy which, in particular, states that any substantial harm or loss to the significance of a Grade I listed building such as the Synagogue should be wholly exceptional and where there is less than substantial harm, the harm should be weighed against the public benefits. In addition, local planning authorities are required to consult Historic England on any proposals affecting a listed building or its setting.

Gardens and Parks

Baroness Fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many acres of land are occupied by (1) private gardens, and (2) public parks and gardens, in England.

Lord Greenhalgh: 633,400 hectares (1,565,100 acres) of land in England is classified as private residential gardens: this equates to approximately 5 per cent of England's total land areaSource: Live Table P400b, Land Use in England 2018 statistics attached (DLUHC): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-land-use   The Ordnance Survey’s OS Open Greenspace spatial data product provides information on the number of hectares of land occupied by open greenspace, including public parks and gardens, within Great Britain (attached): https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business-government/products/open-map-greenspaceLand Use in England (xlsx, 5039.0KB)OS open green space guide (pdf, 497.0KB)OS open space technical specification (pdf, 517.0KB)

Cabinet Office

Horticulture: Vacancies

Baroness Fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of unfilled vacancies for horticultural jobs at the latest date for which figures are available.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the noble Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 21 June is below and attached.Letter from the National Statistician Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician27 June 2022Dear Lady Fookes,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of unfilled vacancies for horticultural jobs at the latest date for which figures are available (HL1150).The Office for National Statistics produces statistics on vacancies as part of the Vacancies and Jobs statistical publication [1]. Within this publication, vacancy estimates are produced by industry [2], according to the Standard Industrial Classification 2007. Horticultural business are not specifically identified in one area of the classification, but are spread across multiple areas.Unfortunately, with the data available it is not possible to provide estimates of the number of vacancies held by horticultural businesses.There are broadly two reasons for this. Firstly, the vacancy survey excludes businesses within the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industry where some horticultural businesses are likely to be classified. This industry is excluded due to the disproportionate costs involved as it mainly consists of very small businesses with few vacancies.Secondly, other horticultural businesses could only be identified at highly detailed levels of the classification, levels at which the survey cannot produce reliable estimates given its overall sample size.However, we are currently exploring the use of online job advert data to provide better insights into labour demand by occupation, and we are hoping to publish these insights later this year.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/latest2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/datasets/vacanciesbyindustryvacs02  UKSA response (pdf, 111.3KB)

Treasury

UK Infrastructure Bank

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Infrastructure Bank, as a private company wholly owned by HM Treasury, will be subject to the same rural proofing guidance as government departments.

Baroness Penn: The UK Infrastructure Bank has a dual mandate of supporting local and regional economic growth and tackling climate change, and it will support projects across the country. Its priority sectors include digital and clean energy infrastructure which may benefit rural areas in particular UKIB’s recently published Strategic Plan also notes that there are complex rural-urban disparities, and that infrastructure investment can help to address these.The UK Infrastructure Bank is operationally independent from Government, and its remit is set out in its Framework Document, which asks it to:“take into account, as far as practicable and appropriate with respect to the Company, the relevant Green Book guidance when appraising investment opportunities”.Whist UKIB is not subject to specific rural proofing guidance, this requirement in the Framework Document includes considering place based impacts.

Individual Savings Accounts: Older People

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people aged over 60 in the UK have ISAs; and what is the (1) total, and (2) average, value of those ISAs.

Baroness Penn: The number of people aged over 60 in the UK who have ISAs as of the end of the 2019 to 2020 tax year is 9,273,000, with a total market value of £401 billion. The average market value per individual for this group is £43,274.

Public Sector: Northern Ireland

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatcontribution the public sector made to growth in GDP in Northern Ireland in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.

Baroness Penn: According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Northern Ireland’s public sector gross valued added (GVA) (defined as the sum of Public Administration & Defence, Education and Human health and social work activities) accounted for 26.5% of Northern Ireland’s GVA in 2020. There are currently no official ONS estimates of sector GVA in 2021 for Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency publish an experimental quarterly Composite Economic Index (NICEI), which provides a more recent measure of economic activity, including for the public sector. In the final quarter of 2021, annual growth in the NICEI was 4.9%, of which the public sector contributed 0.5 percentage points. The NICEI is not produced on a fully equivalent basis to UK GDP. The ONS’ GVA data for Northern Ireland will capture the contribution of spend from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. The Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for allocating their funding from their Barnett-based block grant as they see fit in all areas of devolved responsibility, such as health and education. The Northern Ireland Executive received a total Barnett-based block grant of £17.2bn in 2020-21 and £16.2bn in 2021-22.

Sovereign Grant

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Penn on 28 June (HL1076),whether (1) His Royal Highness the Duke of York, (2) His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, and (3) the Duchess of Sussex, are members of the Royal Family for the purpose of receiving Sovereign Grant funding when conducting official duties on behalf of Her Majesty.

Baroness Penn: No; only those Members of the Royal Family who currently undertake official duties on behalf of Her Majesty, The Queen receive funding from the Sovereign Grant.

Cost of Living: Government Assistance

Lord Rose of Monewden: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist families further in relation to the rise in the cost of living; and whether any such plans include (1) introducing a lower rate of VAT for fuel, and (2) reducing the general rate of VAT.

Baroness Penn: To support households with the rising cost of living, the Government is providing over £15 billion of additional support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This package builds on the over £22 billion announced previously, with Government support for the cost of living now totaling over £37 billion this year.The Government intends VAT to remain a broad-based tax on consumption where the standard rate of 20 per cent applies to most goods and services, including road fuel. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations.Reducing VAT would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. VAT raised around £130 billion in 2019-20 and, according to OBR forecasts, will have raised approximately £135 billion in 2021-22, helping to fund key spending priorities. Any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS and policing.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Cricket: Racial Discrimination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey will take,alongside sporting bodies and associations, to tackle racism in cricket.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Racism has no place in cricket, sport, or wider society. The Government is committed to working with our arm’s-length bodies, sporting bodies and sector partners to ensure sport does all it can to tackle racism and all forms of discrimination.We welcome the action the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is taking to tackle racism in cricket. We will continue to monitor its actions, including the implementation of the ECB’s plan for diversity and inclusion. A recent update indicates that the ECB is continuing to deliver on its commitments on improved diversity in governance, the development of an anti-discrimination unit, and its review of crowd management alongside the First Class Counties and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, established by the ECB in March 2021, is also currently in the process of reviewing the evidence to form an independent report with suggested recommendations on how to tackle discrimination and achieve equity in cricket.Funding from our arm’s-length body for grassroot sport, Sport England, is explicitly linked to the development and implementation of robust diversity and inclusion policies and plans. This has been made clear to the ECB, which has responded positively and constructively.We will continue to liaise with the cricket authorities on tackling racism and hold them to account on this.

Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Colgrain: To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body what has been the cost of the work on the Restoration and Renewal programme since 2012 in respect of (1) the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff, such as those working for the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, (2) the costs of contractors to undertake surveys and preparatory work, and (3) the work assessing and preparing decant locations.

Lord Best: The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority were established in April and May 2020 respectively. Prior to this, the R&R Programme was funded and managed by the House Administrations.The costs outlined below represent those incurred by the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority since April and May 2020 respectively until the end of March 2022. Costs included for the 2021/22 financial year are based on the Quarter 3 forecast, which was presented in the Main Estimate Memorandum. The 2021/22 Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority accounts are currently being audited, and the final outturn position for 2021/22 presented as part of the Annual Report and Accounts will therefore vary from the forecast position.The Sponsor Body has spent £8.2m on salaries (includng associated costs such as pension and national insurance contributions) and £45,000 on recruitment costs. The Delivery Authority has spent £25.3m on salaries (including associated costs such as pension and national insurance contributions) and £0.4m on recruitment costs. There have been no redundancy payments by either organisation in this period.A further £10.9m has been spent on work assessing and preparing decant locations.Excluding the costs outlined above, the Delivery Authority has spent £151m over this period on contractor costs. This comprises all third-party spend, including design and surveys work, programme delivery and project and programme management. It also includes spend required to establish and mature the organisation in preparation for delivery, such as in data and digital, and procurement. Excluding the costs above, the Sponsor Body spent £16.1m on all third-party suppliers. The most significant pieces of work included business case and Strategic Review consultancy, independent assurance, organisational development, corporate services, and public engagement.The total expenditure on all these items is £212m.Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Sponsor Body must, in exercising its functions, have regard to the need to ensure that the Parliamentary building works represent good value for money. The costs of the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to date have been through a comprehensive process of review and challenge led by the CEOs and Boards of both organisations, and scrutinised by the Commissions of both Houses as well as the Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission. These costs are also audited by the National Audit Office.